I read Dwayne Phillips’ One of the Ultimate Compliments at Work and started thinking about being indispensable. I wonder if people want to be indispensable or if they want to be missed. I’m not a fan of indispensable people. They create bottlenecks in projects and cause delays. (See Change the Indispensable Employee Mindset.) And, even […]
Will They Miss Me When I’m Gone? Read More »
I’ve been working on my 2020 strategy and tactics. I think further out, but I don’t plan for more than one year at a time. And, I break that down into quarterly and monthly planning. Because things happen. (For more details, see How Often Do You Reflect?) My yearly plan is a set of options.
When Can You Optimize For Resilience Over Anything Else? Read More »
I like years that end in zero or five. I think of these years as bookends. A nice way to wrap the previous years and to start the next year(s). I get to choose again, how I want to be in the world. In some ways, I’m no different as a person. I’m still “too”
How Do You Want to Be in the World? Read More »
I’m gathering my data from this past year to prepare for my strategy for next year. I gather quantitative data about books, workshops, talks, and more. I assess my feelings as I finished my various work—the qualitative data. And, I note what I didn’t do. I gather this data every quarter. I actually note what
How Often Do You Reflect? Read More »
I’ve been pushing myself to get the second book of the Modern Management Made Easy triad ready for my technical reviewers. I found a ton of little problems and then I realized I had several big problems. I needed to redesign—and rewrite—the first and last chapters. This happens to me a lot when I write
How Do You Feel When You Achieve a Significant Milestone? Read More »
On my way to an appointment the other day, I saw traffic backed up. The left lanes—the through lanes—looked stuck. I signaled and turned to get into the middle lane. That lane was stuck, too, so I signaled and turned to the right lane. I zoomed through in just a minute. The other drivers behind
When Does it Make Sense to Change Your Lane? Read More »
I’ve learned a ton about software projects. One thing I know is that any project that uses continuous integration (agile or not) has a better chance of succeeding. Not a guarantee, but a much better chance. I’ve learned other things I find necessary for successful software projects. Two of my favorites are the need for
Are You Too Busy to Continue Learning? Read More »
A client trying to use an agile approach said, “I want to future-proof my organization. I want the assurance we will be here for years and years.” I asked him if he intended to change things. He gave me that deer-in-the-headlights look. He said, “Maybe?” I did quote Franklin about nothing being certain about death
Do You Choose to Mistake-Proof or Future-Proof? Read More »
Jerry Weinberg used to say something like this. This is what I remember. I don’t know if this is the actual quote: “You paid the tuition for the experience. The learning is optional.” The paid tuition part is about either choosing to go to school or choosing an experience—a workshop, a job, any experience at
What Can You Learn from the Experience? Read More »
Adaptability challenges me on several levels. The biggest is how to balance my experience, with my present, to look towards the future. I might be stuck in the past. I might not realize the present is different from my experience and current perception of the present. I might be afraid for the future. I was
How Do You Balance Your Past, Present, and Future? Read More »